Maianthemum bifolium (false lily of the valley or May lily[1]) is often a localized common rhizomatous flowering plant, native from western Europe (including Britain[2]) east to Siberia, China and Japan.[3]
| Maianthemum bifolium | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
| Genus: | Maianthemum |
| Species: | M. bifolium
|
| Binomial name | |
| Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W.Schmidt
| |
Morphology
editNon-flowering stems usually have only one waxy leaf, but on flowering plants there is one basal leaf that withers away before flowering, and two stem leaves produced alternately up the 10–20 cm tall stems, which are topped off with many star-shaped white flowers. The leaves are heart to triangular, 3–8 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, with small fine hairs on the veins. The flowers have four tepals, four stamens and have two chambers in the pistil; flowering is in mid spring to early summer. This species, along with Maianthemum canadense and Maianthemum dilatatum are the only four-tepaled species. One to two seeds are produced in round, initially green berries that are speckled red when immature and turn completely red with age. The whole plant, including the berries contains cardiac glycosides and just a few grams can be poisonous to humans.
Ecology
editThis species grows in large groups in open forests and on damp soils in grassy ditches and thickets, particularly in humus-rich soil. The whole plant - including the berries - is poisonous to humans when ingested, but is generally safe to touch.
Use
editIt was historically used in folk medicine as a remedy for heart ailments, liver problems and fever. Its cardiac glycoside content gives it potential for a heart remedy - though one very easy to overdose, so it is not recommended to try it - but there doesn't seem to be any scientific basis for the other uses.
References
edit
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ New Flora of The British Isles, Clive Stace
- ^ Anderberg, Arne; Anderberg, Anna-Lena. "Maianthemum bifolium". Den virtuella florin (in Swedish). Swedish Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 27 November 2010.